Healing in the saddle

From equine therapy to inclusive employment, Ivey Ranch Park Association empowers more than 1,000 clients annually, including Steven Daane, who turned care into a career

Ivey Ranch in Oceanside has become the premier equine therapy facility, and more, for those with and without special needs. Photo courtesy Ivey Ranch Park Association

OCEANSIDE — Nestled between a bustling highway and Mission Avenue sits one of the region’s premier facilities for those needing care, therapy and a better quality of life.

Ivey Ranch is also the premier equine therapy facility in San Diego County, offering therapeutic services to those with and without special needs. Many of their clients, though, are special needs, with the two largest populations being those diagnosed with cerebral palsy and autism, according to Cynthia Renteria, the volunteer coordinator for the Ivey Ranch Park Association.

The facility is home to 29 horses and 13 programs serving about 1,000 clients each year. The non-profit also acts as a pathway for those with special needs to grow from a client to working at the facility, or elsewhere, like the journey for Steven Daane, a 25-year-old with cerebral palsy.

“Part of our mission statement is that we believe in integration,” Renteria added. “We have riders with disabilities and without, so they take the same lessons. I think it’s beneficial for both sides to be together.”